Chapter Two
Jonathan
I hadn’t been expecting Alfie to invite me to have dinner with him when I’d asked if I could take the spare seat at his table in the bar, but despite my shock I was glad I’d said yes.
I’d never been the most sociable person, but there was something about Alfie’s friendliness that drew me in and made me feel…
welcome was probably too strong a word but it was the closest one I had.
After years of being labelled as the weird, awkward one, I’d largely decided that making friends wasn’t worth the effort and now every time someone displayed any sort of kindness towards me it completely threw me.
I was never sure if their actions were genuine or not, but at least if Alfie turned out to be a dick, then I wouldn’t have to see him again unless we were paired up at a future tournament.
And if that happened, I’d simply be polite before wiping his army off the board in as little time as possible.
But for now, we were sat opposite each other in a small corner of the hotel restaurant with another round of drinks while we waited for our meals to arrive. I’d decided to go for a cheeseburger and fries, because after a long day of being around people, it was the only thing I wanted.
“So, what do you do when you’re not at tournaments?
” Alfie asked, resting one arm on the table and shooting me a smile so charming it could only have been genuine.
I didn’t think I’d ever had anyone who wasn’t my family or my colleagues—who were a strange pair themselves—look at me like that before. It was almost unnerving.
My eyes roamed over him, cataloguing the details of his worn, cosy-looking Sword & Flame hoodie which enveloped his broad, soft body, the way his honey-blond hair curled softly on top, and the scattering of freckles across his nose.
There was a warmth to his presence that radiated out of him like a golden glow, somehow reminiscent of the knights he’d fielded during the tournament.
“Painting mostly,” I said. “I find it very relaxing. But sometimes I’ll play games too, I’ve been slowly working my way through Age of Blood Five. And then I work as a receptionist in a funeral home.”
Alfie’s eyes flashed wide for a second. “Really? That’s so cool! Well, not cool because people are dead and I guess it must be quite stressful at times?”
“Sometimes,” I said, still thrown by his enthusiasm for my job.
Then again, it wasn’t something I mentioned to a lot of people, simply because I didn’t know a lot of people.
Maybe his reaction was fairly standard. “Families can get quite emotional, but I don’t find that stressful. It’s the arguments.”
“Oh, like over wills and who gets what?”
“Not even that. We once had one family who started a fist fight in reception over the material for their grandfather’s coffin. Apparently veneered oak was too cheap, willow was too cheap looking—despite being nearly four times the price of the veneered oak—and solid oak was too expensive.”
“You… you’re kidding. Is that seriously something people argue over?”
I shrugged and reached for my Pepsi. “Yes, and that was a mild altercation. Death has a funny way of bringing out the worst in people. Theo—he’s our mortician and my boss’s partner—always says the amount of family secrets he overhears when people come to visit their relatives is astounding.
Apparently, nobody realises that someone can hear them or that we have video feed for safety, despite the fact there are signs. ”
Theo was the living embodiment of chaos dressed in lace and frills, who regularly attempted to draw me into whatever nonsense he was planning.
I had gotten quite good at saying no to him, but mostly because Laurie, his fiancé and owner of Winchester & Sons, had made it clear from day one that I shouldn’t let Theo walk all over me, no matter how much he pouted.
He and Laurie were two of the only people I interacted with regularly and neither of them had ever expected me to be anything other than myself, which after years of trying to be normal had been refreshing.
As the child of goths, I’d always loved dark clothes and spooky things, but school hadn’t been the most friendly of places and I’d spent half my teenage years desperately trying to fit in.
Then I’d interviewed for the receptionist job at Winchester & Sons and walked in to see Laurie dressed in the sort of gothic finery I’d been dreaming of since I was nine, and Theo in a ruffled blouse, huge skirt with frills and silk roses, and bunny hair clips.
It had stunned me and I’d hardly been able to speak, and when they’d offered me the job I’d vowed to be myself.
Neither of them had ever been anything but wildly supportive. Almost overbearingly so at times. But I’d learned to put up with it and over the past few years they’d become something of a second family.
They were the closest thing I had to friends at any rate.
“I can see that,” Alfie said with an understanding nod. “It’s an emotional situation and most people aren’t used to dealing with death. I guess it brings out all the things they wished they’d said.”
“Exactly. And it gives them someone to confess their secrets to.”
“That sounds horrifying.”
“We’ve never had someone confess to murder, if that’s what you’re trying to ask,” I said. I assumed that was what he was trying to get at since people tended to be drawn to scandal and horror.
“I wasn’t but that’s good to know.” He smiled at me again and it felt like the clouds had parted to reveal an open sky full of stars—beautiful and breathtaking in equal measure.
What was it about his smile that was so intriguing?
Why did everything about him fascinate me?
This whole evening felt like one twist and fall after another, where everything Alfie did or said caught me off balance.
But not in an unpleasant way. There was a gentle openness to him, and it made me want to talk to him, which was such a strange feeling that I wasn’t even sure what to do with it.
I supposed I could have a conversation with him. Ask him about himself. And not just because it was the thing you were supposed to do, but because I was actually interested in his answers.
“What about you?” I asked, as a member of the restaurant staff delivered our food, sliding a plate with a huge burger and mountain of fries in front of me and another in front of Alfie.
I watched the way his hazel eyes went wide and I tilted my head as he peered at the stack of fried chicken inside his burger, barbecue sauce and cheese leaking out from under the bun.
“Er, I’m an accountant,” he said vaguely, still looking at his food. “The boring kind, not the sexy kind.”
“The sexy kind?”
“Yeah, you know how some people who do MyFans say they’re an accountant so people don’t ask questions? I’m sadly just an accountant. Mostly I’ve worked in things like international manufacturing and shipping so, definitely not that interesting.”
I felt myself smiling as I picked up a chip. “Do people really do that? The accountant thing.”
“Yeah, at least according to social media.”
“Huh. The person I know who does MyFans never misses an opportunity to tell people,” I said, because Theo was always happy to share details or complain if he was exhausted from staying up editing or from spending the weekend filming. “He’s very open about it.”
“Really? You know someone who does MyFans? You really are the coolest person I’ve ever met.”
I stared at him for a second as he picked up his cutlery, looking for a way to cut his burger in half. I’d never been called cool before, not unless it was in a mocking, sarcastic way. But there was no doubting the sincerity in Alfie’s voice.
Did he really think I was cool?
That was almost as unnerving as the genuine smile.
“Don’t get too excited,” I said, deciding there was no way to look dignified while stuffing my face full of burger and picking it up with both hands. “I’m the least cool person in the world.”
Alfie grinned again, his round face lighting up as he leant across the table.
“You’re at a Sword & Flame tournament in a fucking suit and harness, you paint minis to a god-tier level, you work in a funeral home, and you know people who do MyFans.
And you have gorgeous make-up and nails, don’t think I didn’t see them.
” He winked. “Like it or not, you’re the coolest person in this whole damn hotel. ”
“Thanks.” I felt my cheeks heat and tried to shove the burger in my mouth to cover my embarrassment.
It didn’t work though because I’d tried to fit too much in and ended up choking.
I dropped the burger onto the plate as I tried to chew and cover my mouth, reaching for my drink as my eyes watered painfully.
I was the furthest thing from graceful to have ever existed and, for a second, I wondered if it would be easier to excuse myself so I didn’t have to keep looking Alfie in the face.
“Are you okay?” he asked as I took several long swallows of Pepsi, finally forcing the lump of burger down my throat.
“Y-Yeah,” I said. “Sorry, that was…”
“Don’t apologise. I’m glad you’re okay.” He smiled again. “My first aid skills really aren’t that good.”
“Mine neither,” I said, cautiously prodding a fry with my fork, as if it might bite me. “The closest I can do is deal with craft knife injuries and small burns.”
“Oh God, craft knives are lethal! Although, nothing hurt as much as the time I skinned my knuckles with sandpaper when I was trying to sand some rough edges down on my archers.”
I hissed and winced. “I can imagine that stung.”
“For ages. Nearly put me off sandpaper for life.”
A soft chuckle slipped from my lips, startling me as it did. I couldn’t remember the last time someone had made me laugh—well, someone who wasn’t my siblings—and I had to resist the urge to touch my mouth to see if it was still mine.
“What about you?” Alfie asked as he picked up half his burger. “Any horrible hobby-related injuries?”
“Just the usual,” I said, watching as he took a huge bite, strangely focused on the shape of his lips.
I shook my head slightly and stabbed more fries.
Watching someone eat wasn’t going to get me away from being labelled weird.
“Superglued fingers, stabbing myself with craft knives, catching myself with cutting pliers, accidentally washing my paintbrushes in my tea and then trying to drink it.” I smiled at that memory, the taste of paint still lingering on my tongue.
“I was too focused on trying to watch Black Butler and paint at the same time.”
“I’ve done that too.” Alfie shuddered. “Except I drank my paint water rather than my glass of water. It was disgusting.”
“That’s why I’ve started using a bottle of water, just so I know if I pick up a glass it’s the wrong thing.”
“Very smart, I’ll have to try that.”
“I debated putting my tea in a thermos as well, but that felt like a step too far.”
“I should try that too! Mostly because I forget it’s there and by the time I get to it, it’s cold.”
“I don’t mind cold drinks in the summer,” I said. “Mainly because Theo started bringing me iced coffee. I don’t really drink coffee, but the ones he brings me are quite nice.”
“That’s sweet of him.”
“It is,” I said, another smile playing across my lips as I reached for my burger, determined to actually eat it instead of choke on it. “Usually, it’s because he wants something but sometimes it’s just because.”
“It’s nice when you work with people you like,” Alfie said. “It makes things easier.”
“It does.” I took a small bite of my burger, relieved when I managed to chew and swallow. “What are your colleagues like?”
“I actually just quit my job.” He squeezed his mouth together, nostrils flaring.
It was difficult to tell if he was regretful, relieved, or still getting used to the idea.
“My friend talked me into starting a business with him and another friend. It’s totally different to anything I’ve done before, but I’m still working with numbers a lot of the time so that’s something.
Although getting Darcy to listen to budgets is another thing.
” He sighed almost fondly. “We open next week so I’m trying really hard not to think about it this weekend before all my time gets swallowed up. ”
“We don’t have to talk about it! We can talk about anything,” I said, suddenly realising I didn’t want this conversation to end.
I wanted it to go on and on for as long as possible.
I knew I had to get up early for the second day of the tournament, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t spend a few hours chatting.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d made this kind of connection with someone, and I wanted to enjoy it for as long as possible before reality sank its claws into me again.
“Do you have a favourite moment from today?”
Alfie’s expression was one of pure excitement as he picked up a chip and dunked it into a little pot of mayo.
“You know that last move you made during our match? One of the best things I’ve ever seen.
Truly! I had no idea it was coming and I kind of hate you for it, but it was also incredible.
Was it something you’d planned all along or a spur of the moment thing? ”
“Oh, er, well I always have a mental list of possible tactics but that one… I’ll admit it was a very last-gasp of the desperate thing. I wasn’t sure it would work.”
“Seriously? Okay well now you have to tell me how it works!” His smile was radiant and I couldn’t have said no because I simply didn’t have the words.
I stabbed a few more fries on my fork and reached for some ketchup, ready to lose myself in Alfie’s conversation for the rest of the night.